


My Hero

by Jarino



Series: Rima Lavellan, Herald of Andraste [5]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), F/M, Hurt, Pre-Relationship, Protectiveness, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-25 16:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4967662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarino/pseuds/Jarino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Herald is attacked by assassins, but is saved in the nick of time by Commander Cullen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Hero

Staring up at the wooden rafters of her ceiling, Rima lay wide awake. She’d been trying, and failing, for the better part of the night to get to sleep, but she just wasn’t having any luck. This whole situation was just so strange. First she falls out of the Fade, waking up to swords pointing at her and people screaming that they want her dead, and then suddenly it all turns around and she’s being called the Herald of bloody Andraste.

Being dragged into shemlen politics and religious debacles was one thing, but these living quarters were something else altogether. While it was relatively small and quaint, which Rima appreciated, she still felt completely out of place in her appointed cabin. The furniture, while an odd adjustment, wasn’t truly what bothered her. The utter solitude of the cabin was much more troublesome.

In her clan, she’d never spent a night where she wasn’t within arm’s reach of another person. She had always taken comfort in the presence of others, knowing that they could look out for one another. Being secluded like this made her not only feel incredibly lonesome, but also somewhat paranoid. She took care to lock her doors and windows, but even so, knowing that no one could alert her of anything that happened when she shut her eyes was rather disconcerting.

Frustrated, she sat up in bed and stared out the window. It was very late. The sun likely wouldn’t be rising for another four hours or so. Giving up on any attempt at sleeping, she let out a defeated sigh before she rose to her feet and grabbed a cloak. Perhaps some fresh air would clear her mind.  Heading out into the village, she shuddered a bit at the breeze that brushed past her. Pulling her cloak tighter, she slowly began making her way down the path.

It was very quiet; the crunch of snow beneath her feet echoing into the night. There wasn’t a single soul to be found. The only other ones awake at this late hour were likely the guards stationed near the gates.

The eerie silence of the night sent a mild shiver down Rima’s spine and she quickened her pace slightly, now setting course for the Chantry. Maybe her advisors were also having trouble sleeping and she’d find them in the war room. Even if they weren’t awake, she could probably find something there to occupy her time.

Pushing against the large wooden doors with a small grant, she began her entry into the Chantry proper. Though she had come here with the intention of going to the war room, she found herself slowly approaching one of the statues of Andraste. Gazing up at the large figurehead looming over her, she felt herself overcome with an odd sense of intrigue. Who was this prophet, truly? Her knowledge of the Andrastian faith was minimal at best, and yet she was being perceived as the woman’s Herald. What was her story like? Did she also find herself saddled with a divine title that she didn’t ask for? Were there other similarities between their lives?

As she stood beneath the statue, pondering her questions, she was so intent that she didn’t notice the footsteps behind her until it was too late. Without warning, a large, bulky arm wrapped itself around her neck and pulled her into a chokehold. Flailing about in response, Rima attempted to scream out in shock, but her cries died in her throat.

Summoning magic to her fingertips, Rima wasted no time setting fire to the man’s clothing, which he reacted to almost instantly. Releasing his hold on her, he fell back, furiously patting down the cloth in an attempt to smother the flames. Given her new opportunity, Rima cried out loudly for help and her words rang loudly against the stone walls of the Chantry. Surely someone would hear her, right? There had to be people staying in the Chantry…And even if none of them knew how to fight, they could go find help.

It didn’t take long for the assassin to put out the flames, and when he righted himself, a new fury had ignited itself in him. Rima readied herself in a battle stance, though she really wished she’d brought a staff with her. While she was capable of fighting without one, her magic was much more unpredictable and difficult to control. In a fight like this, that might not matter, though.

The man had unsheathed a dagger and was quickly advancing on her. She ducked below the blade and tossed a spark of lightning in his direction, but it missed. Rolling to the side, she began to pull at her mana, readying a fireball, but was halted by a sharp blow to the back of her head. Another assassin. Why hadn’t she seen them? She should have known better…

She fell to the ground, but wasn’t given a moment of respite. The attacker was on her in an instant, taking a firm grip on her head before smashing it into the stone floor. A high-pitched ringing noise soon filled her ears and her skull began to throb in pain. Another smash. Her vision grew blurry. She could barely make out the dark silhouette of the figure that stood above her. Before they could beat her into the ground again though, they were halted by the sound of their comrade’s dying breath. He let out a strangled gurgling sound, as though he were choking on blood. Had he been stabbed?

The assassin that had been leaning over Rima quickly got to their feet and pulled out their own blade in an attempt to fight off this newcomer. A flash of gold rushed into Rima’s line of sight, bearing a blade that glinted in the candlelight. It didn’t take long before the second assailant had been run through.

Rima couldn’t make out who her savior was…Her vision was getting hazier and against her volition, her eyelids began to droop close. She soon heard a loud clang as the figure dropped their blade to the ground and immediately rushed to her side. She could feel herself being lifted before her head lay on what she could only assume was their lap.

“Herald…Herald…Are you all right? Oh, Maker…please open your eyes…”

That voice…She knew that voice.

With great effort, she tried to do as the voice commanded and willed her eyelids to rise. She only managed to get them half-open, but that was still better than nothing. Her vision was less fuzzy now, although maybe it was just the close vicinity of the person who held her. She was slowly able to make out their features, and eventually, she was able to recognize the face plastered with worry as Commander Cullen’s.

“Cullen…?” she asked slowly, her voice raspy and raw.

He let out an audible sigh of relief, but the fear did not wash from his face. “Thank the Maker you’re okay…” he let out at barely a whisper.

She could barely make out the sound of footsteps rushing into the chamber and he lifted his gaze from her to bark orders at someone. “Get a healer, at once!” His expression had contorted into one of angry insistence, but the instant he returned his attention to Rima, his eyes softened with concern.

He began to mumble something to her in a hushed tone, but she couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. This seemed to worry him and he was promptly yelling out more commands. She had trouble recalling what happened in the next few minutes, but she had a vague awareness of people scrambling about frantically, and she could have sworn Leliana had approached them at one point asking questions. The one thing she did remember was Cullen’s hand desperately clinging to hers; not letting go throughout the entire ordeal.

After what seemed like an eternity, a healer finally rushed up to their side and knelt down beside her patient. She quickly got to work; pulling mana to her hands as she helped the skin knit together. Rima could feel the flow of magic wash across her and she let out an audible sigh. After the wound had been properly closed, the healer moved on to bandage her head and began issuing instructions as she did so. “She’ll be fine…Just make sure she doesn’t exert herself to much for a couple of days. Wouldn’t want to open that wound…” She finished tying the bandages and pushed herself onto her feet. “Also…she may have a concussion, so I’d suggest holding off on letting her sleep. Better safe than sorry.”

Though her vision was still somewhat shaky, Rima’s head did feel a lot clearer and she found she had the strength to move again. Slowly, Cullen assisted her in standing and allowed her to lean against him for support. Ushering her along gently, he leaned down to her and spoke softly, “I know you’re probably exhausted, but Leliana and Josephine want to talk about what happened. Do you think you’re up for it?” She gave a small nod of affirmation.

Ignoring the crowd that had gathered in the Chantry, the two gradually made their way toward the war room. Once inside, Leliana took to closing the doors behind them while Cullen helped Rima to a chair.

Clearing her throat slightly, Josephine gripped her clipboard tightly before speaking. “Well…Perhaps now we can get to the heart of the issue…Someone sent assassins after the Herald, but the question is ‘who?’”

“We might have an answer to that question if  _somebody_  hadn’t impaled them before we could take them in for questioning,” Leliana uttered in a biting tone.

Cullen quickly grew defensive in response. “The Herald’s life was in danger. What did you expect me to do? Sit around until you showed up?”

“I expected you to think rationally. You easily could have incapacitated them without killing them…”

“You speak quite confidently for someone who wasn’t there,” he practically growled.

“Perhaps-” Josephine interjected. “-the Herald could tell us what happened before the Commander appeared…” She turned her gaze to Rima. “Did they say anything of note?”

“I, um…” she started, unsure. “No…I can’t recall them saying anything, actually.”

Pursing her lips in contemplation, the ambassador urged her to continue. “Could you at least tell us what happened, then?”

“Well…I came into the Chantry because I was having trouble sleeping…I thought I might get some work done while I was up.” She took a pause as she attempted to recollect her thoughts. “I got distracted when all of a sudden I was in a chokehold…I managed to get free and called out for help before I started fighting him…That was when the second assassin showed up. I hadn’t realized they were there…” She looked up hesitantly and met Cullen’s eyes for a brief moment. “And then the Commander came in…He knows the rest of the story better than I do…”

The advisors looked to one another and Leliana muttered something under her breath, but for the most part, they managed to avoid another argument.

They stayed there for several more hours, discussing various steps that would need to be taken, but Rima tuned most of it out, her mind elsewhere. Eventually, Leliana dismissed everyone and Josephine politely bid them farewell, eager to return to bed. Rima remained in her chair, however, and the Commander didn’t make a move to leave, either. He made his way over to Rima and sat down next to her, looking at her gently.

“Are you doing all right?” he asked in a soft voice.

Looking back at him, she smiled halfheartedly. “I’m fine. I’ve been feeling a lot better since the healer took care of me.”

“That’s not what I meant…Or well, I suppose it kind of is. I  _was_  worried about your physical well-being, but, um…What I meant to say is…how are  _you_  doing?” He placed a tentative hand upon her shoulder and gazed into her eyes. “Assassination attempts are never easy to deal with, least of all when they’re made on your own life. I simply…wished to check how you were handling all this…”

Her heart warmed under his gaze and her smile grew more genuine. “I…am all right. Truly.” Reaching up to touch his hand with hers, she added, “I’m just glad you made it when you did…”

He seemed to freeze at her touch and his breath hitched in his throat, but almost instantly, he relaxed and returned the smile. “As am I…”


End file.
